System and Method for Automated Deployment and Operation of Remote Measurement and Process Control Solutions

Abstract

The present disclosure describes systems and methods that generate fully automated network deployment, configuration, installation, and operation of a remote measurement and process control solution which interfaces with a vertical business process, such as, for example, remote medical processes and/or collaborative telehealth systems.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method for a health care provisioning protocol, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) receiving at a server a first input for a patient from an electronic device;   (b) selecting, based on the first input, a first electronic template from a plurality of predetermined electronic templates;   (c) selecting, based on the first input, a first sensor network appliance and a first sensor device from a predetermined set of sensor devices;   (d) populating said first electronic template with a first set of information comprising protected health information, a second set of information comprising non-protected health information, an appliance parameter for said first sensor network appliance, and a sensor parameter for said first sensor device;   (e) providing said first electronic template to said first sensor network appliance;   (f) downloading to said first sensor network appliance a configuration file for said first sensor device; and   (g) electronically pairing said first sensor network appliance with said first sensor device using said appliance parameter, said sensor parameter, and said configuration file.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of:
 (h) monitoring said patient with said first sensor device, wherein the monitoring comprises receiving measurement information related to at least one vital sign of said patient; 
 (i) uploading the measurement information to a predetermined database; and 
 (j) providing the measurement information to a care team member. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first input comprises:
 (i) the referring physician National Provider Identifier (“NPI”) or name; 
 (ii) Protected Health Information (“PHI”) for the patient or the patient's social security number; 
 (iii) an electronic prescription; 
 (iv) an electronic medical care plan parameter based on a type of said first sensor device; and 
 (v) a parameter for said first sensor network appliance. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first input includes information selected from the group consisting of: a medical protocol, a medical care plan, a secure user account, a software configuration file, sensor network appliance information, a sensor type, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first input includes a medical care plan comprising a prescription identifier, a duration for the medical care plan, at least one vital sign to be measured for the patient, a timing indication for the measurement of the at least one vital sign, a threshold depth value for each of the at least one vital sign, and a threshold check value for each of the at least one vital sign. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first electronic template includes information selected from the group consisting of: access control and authentication information, connection control and alert policies, data control and alert policies, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing said first electronic template to said first sensor network appliance comprises:
 (i) registering said patient to said first sensor network appliance;   (ii) downloading software from said server to said first sensor network appliance; and   (iii) providing information regarding measurements, alerts, and reports for monitoring said patient.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of:
 (h) selecting, based on the first input, a second electronic template from the plurality of predetermined electronic templates; 
 (i) selecting, based on the first input, a second sensor device from the predetermined set of sensor devices, where in the second sensor device is of a type different from a type of said first sensor device; 
 (j) populating said second electronic template with a third set of information, the appliance parameter for said first sensor network appliance, and a second sensor parameter for said second sensor device; 
 (k) providing said second electronic template to said first sensor network appliance; 
 (l) downloading to said first sensor network appliance a second configuration file for said second sensor device; and 
 (m) electronically pairing said first sensor network appliance with said second sensor device using said appliance parameter, said second sensor parameter, and said second configuration file. 
 
     
     
         9 . A method for a health care provisioning protocol, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) receiving at a server a first input for a patient from an electronic device, wherein the first input comprises information regarding:
 (i) an electronic prescription including a duration; 
 (ii) a referring physician; 
 (iii) a patient identifier; 
 (iv) at least one vital sign to be measured including an alert level; 
 (v) an identifier for a care team member; 
 (vi) a secure network appliance; 
 (vii) a sensor device from a predetermined set of sensor devices; and 
 (viii) a software file for said secure network appliance; 
   (b) selecting, based on the first input, an electronic template from a plurality of predetermined electronic templates;   (c) populating said electronic template with information from step (a);   (d) providing said electronic template to said sensor network appliance;   (e) downloading to said sensor network appliance:
 (i) a portal application file; 
 (ii) a system application file; 
 (iii) a configuration file; 
 (iv) a pairing file; 
 (v) an account rights file; 
 (vi) a data application program interface file; 
 (vii) a first MAC address for said sensor network appliance; and 
 (viii) a second MAC address for said sensor device; 
   (f) electronically pairing said sensor network appliance with said sensor device;   (g) connecting said sensor network appliance to a remote data device;   (h) monitoring said patient with said sensor device, wherein the monitoring comprises receiving measurement information related to the at least one vital sign of said patient;   (i) uploading the measurement information to a predetermined database; and   (j) providing the measurement information to a care team member.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the electronic template is selected from the group consisting of: a medical protocol template, a medical care plan template, a secure user account template, a software configuration file template, sensor network appliance template, a sensor type template, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the steps of:
 (k) receiving at a server a second input for a patient from a second electronic device, wherein the second input comprises information regarding a change to at least one of:
 (i) the electronic prescription including a duration; 
 (ii) the referring physician; 
 (iii) the patient identifier; 
 (iv) the at least one vital sign to be measured including an alert level; 
 (v) the identifier for a care team member; 
 (vi) the secure network appliance; 
 (vii) the sensor device from a predetermined set of sensor devices; and 
 (viii) the software file for said secure network appliance; 
   (l) populating said electronic template with information from step (k) to thereby create an adapted electronic template;   (m) providing said adapted electronic template to said sensor network appliance;   (n) monitoring said patient with said sensor device, wherein the monitoring comprises receiving measurement information related to the at least one vital sign of said patient;   (o) uploading the measurement information to a predetermined database based at least in part on said adapted electronic template; and   (p) providing the measurement information to a care team member based at least in part on said adapted electronic template.   
     
     
         12 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of executable instructions to be executed by a processor, the plurality of executable instructions comprising instructions to:
 (a) receive at a server a first input for a patient from an electronic device;   (b) select, based on the first input, a first electronic template from a plurality of predetermined electronic templates;   (c) select, based on the first input, a first sensor network appliance and a first sensor device from a predetermined set of sensor devices;   (d) populate said first electronic template with a first set of information comprising protected health information, a second set of information comprising non-protected health information, an appliance parameter for said first sensor network appliance, and a sensor parameter for said first sensor device;   (e) provide said first electronic template to said first sensor network appliance;   (f) download to said first sensor network appliance a configuration file for said first sensor device; and   (g) electronically pair said first sensor network appliance with said first sensor device using said appliance parameter, said sensor parameter, and said configuration file.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 12  further comprising instructions to:
 (h) monitor said patient with said first sensor device, wherein the monitoring comprises receiving measurement information related to at least one vital sign of said patient; 
 (i) upload the measurement information to a predetermined database; and 
 (j) provide the measurement information to a care team member. 
 
     
     
         14 . A system for a health care provisioning protocol, comprising:
 (a) a server for receiving a first input for a patient from an electronic device;   (b) first circuitry for selecting, based on the first input, a first electronic template from a plurality of predetermined electronic templates;   (c) second circuitry for selecting, based on the first input, a first sensor network appliance and a first sensor device from a predetermined set of sensor devices;   (d) third circuitry for populating said first electronic template with a first set of information comprising protected health information, a second set of information comprising non-protected health information, an appliance parameter for said first sensor network appliance, and a sensor parameter for said first sensor device;   (e) said first sensor network appliance operatively connected to said server, wherein said first sensor network appliance receives said first electronic template from said server;   (f) fourth circuitry for downloading from said server to said first sensor network appliance a configuration file for said first sensor device; and   (g) fifth circuitry for electronically pairing said first sensor network appliance with said first sensor device using said appliance parameter, said sensor parameter, and said configuration file.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  further comprising:
 (h) circuitry for monitoring said patient with said first sensor device, wherein the monitoring comprises receiving measurement information related to at least one vital sign of said patient; 
 (i) circuitry for uploading the measurement information to a predetermined database; and 
 (j) circuitry for providing the measurement information to a care team member. 
 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14  further comprising:
 (h) said first circuitry for selecting, based on the first input, a second electronic template from the plurality of predetermined electronic templates; 
 (i) said second circuitry for selecting, based on the first input, a second sensor device from the predetermined set of sensor devices, where in the second sensor device is of a type different from a type of said first sensor device; 
 (j) said third circuitry for populating said second electronic template with a third set of information, the appliance parameter for said first sensor network appliance, and a second sensor parameter for said second sensor device; 
 (k) said first sensor network appliance operatively connected to said server, wherein said first sensor network appliance receives said second electronic template from said server; 
 (l) said fourth circuitry for downloading to said first sensor network appliance a second configuration file for said second sensor device; and 
 (m) said fifth circuitry for electronically pairing said first sensor network appliance with said second sensor device using said appliance parameter, said second sensor parameter, and said second configuration file.